Month: February 2016

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner and some recent sunshine I thought I’d highlight some of the things I love about Portland.

The coffee: Oh, the coffee. It’s roasted fresh all over our fair city and it makes me long for Portland when I’m away drinking not so freshly roasted coffee. If your valentine loves coffee a bag of Heart coffee would make a great gift or you could try your hand at being a barista and give your lover a hot cup in bed with a heart of top.

Spring comes early: Unlike the winters that can last well through March in the Midwest, Spring comes early. My spring bulbs are coming up and there are crocuses popping out of Portland lawns all over. I had to ask a neighbor about this last year. Portlanders pride themselves on being weird in all seasons and it seems it’s a tradition for people to throw in some crocus bulbs in their lawns so they will pop up as one of the first signs of Spring.

The Portland Nursery Help Desk: I’ve popped in with a few questions since moving here and they are always a wealth of knowledge. The other day I stopped by to do some garden recon and discovered it was a ghost town. This could be in part that it’s early in season or that they don’t have the coffee cart open yet (thank goodness Tabor Space is nearby). I am determined to get my old apple trees bearing edible fruit this year so I stopped at the help desk with some questions. As usual they had several solutions for me. Unlike the summer months there was nobody in line behind me so I got an extended tree consultation and walked away, once again, in love with this free service. If you can’t make it in they have a lot of information on their website too.

The sense of community: I’m not the only one feeling the love for Portland. According to the latest report Oregon is the most popular state to move to for the 3rd year running. Although there in no doubt the natural beauty and mild climate are a draw, once you get here there is an almost old fashioned sense of community. Neighbors know each other and stop to say hello. Even with busy lives they stay connected with sites like Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook pages. The multitude of little free libraries always make me feel the love the way those honor system farm stand boxes did when I was growing up in Michigan.

There are so many things to love about Portland. Happy Valentine’s Day.